The Enterprise Incident
' |image= |series= |production=60043-59 |producer(s)= |story= |script=D.C. Fontana |director=John Meredyth Lucas |imdbref=tt0708464 |guests=Joanne Linville as Romulan Commander, Jack Donner as Sub-Commander Tal, Richard Compton as Technical Officer, Robert Gentile as Technician, Mike Howden as Romulan Guard, Gordon Coffey as Romulan Soldier, Eddie Paskey as Lt. Leslie and Roger Holloway as Lt. Lemli |previous_production=The Paradise Syndrome |next_production=And the Children Shall Lead |episode=TOS S03E02 |airdate=27 September 1968 |previous_release=Spock's Brain |next_release=The Paradise Syndrome |story_date(s)=5027.3 (2268) |previous_story=The Paradise Syndrome |next_story=And the Children Shall Lead }} Summary Captain Kirk takes the Enterprise, without apparent authorization, into the Neutral Zone between Federation and Romulan space. Three Romulan vessels decloak and intercept the ship, and Kirk is given an order to surrender. Kirk responds by threatening to destroy the Enterprise if the Romulans attempt a boarding. He is then invited, along with Vulcan First Officer Spock to a parley aboard the Romulan flagship. Kirk accepts on condition that the Romulans simultaneously transport two of their officers over as an exchange. Once aboard the Romulan ship, Kirk and Spock are taken before a female commander who demands an explanation for their intrusion into Romulan space. Kirk falsely claims that instrument failure caused the ship to stray off course, but Spock informs the captain ordered entry into Romulan space claiming it as an initiative born of insanity. The Romulans lead a furious Kirk, charged with espionage and railing against the treachery of his First Officer, to the brig. The Romulan Commander then orders Chief Engineer Scott to follow the Romulans back to their base but the combative Scott refuses. In the Romulan brig, Kirk injures himself by lunging against the force field enclosing the cell door. Chief Medical Officer Dr. McCoy is then summoned from the Enterprise to attend to him. With Spock in tow, the Romulan commander asks McCoy to confirm Spock's characterization of the Captain as being mentally incompetent and McCoy does so. After listening to the Doctor, the Romulan Commander orders Spock to assume command of the Enterprise, Kirk mutters words of outrage and disgust, then lunges at Spock. Spock defends himself by using the "Vulcan death grip" – presumably a variation on the Vulcan nerve pinch – on the Captain, who slumps to the floor. McCoy then declares him dead. Alone with Spock in her quarters, the Romulan Commander continues her attempt to persuade him to her people's cause. She argues that humans show their prejudicial disregard of Vulcan talents and capabilities in failing to have placed him in command of a Starfleet ship, but that, should he switch allegiances, he will learn to enjoy the spiritual society of Romulans as her consort. Back on the Enterprise, Kirk returns to life, emerging from a mere state of suspended animation brought on by Spock's "death grip", and orders McCoy to perform the plastic surgery necessary to give him Romulan features. With his features altered, Kirk borrows the uniform of one of the Romulan hostages and has Scotty transport him back to the Romulan vessel. While the Romulan Commander is changing into more comfortable attire, Spock directs Kirk, via communicator, to the section of the Romulan ship where the cloaking device is located. From the bridge, Romulan Subcommander Tal discovers and tracks the signal. While Spock and the Romulan Commander commune with one another in a spiritualized erotic exploration of the other's hand and face, Tal interrupts and informs his superior of the alien transmission. Spock presents himself to the Romulan officers affirming Tal's report, but also that they are too late – Kirk has disengaged the cloaking device and returned with it to the Enterprise. Spock takes advantage of the traditional Romulan right of statement before his conviction and eventual execution to stall for time, as well as admit Kirk's and his guilt of espionage. Simultaneously, Kirk re-assumes command of the Enterprise as Scotty attempts to adapt the Romulan cloaking device technology to the Enterprise deflectors. Ensign Chekov tries to distinguish between Vulcan and Romulan life signatures so that Spock can be transported back to the Enterprise. He eventually acquires a fix on Spock and begins to beam him back to the Enterprise. As Spock dematerializes, the Romulan Commander rushes to embrace him and she is beamed over with him. They materialize and are brought to the bridge of the Enterprise where Kirk gives the order to return to Federation space. The pursuing Romulans are ready to fire upon them as Scotty activates the cloak and the Enterprise vanishes before their eyes. Kirk orders the ship to the nearest starbase and gallantly invites the Romulan commander to accept Mr. Spock as her escort to her new quarters. Alone with Spock in the turbolift, the Romulan acknowledges defeat and expresses her bitter disappointment at Spock's betrayal. Spock avers that, although his loyalty is to the Federation, she underestimates herself considerably if she believes he was not tempted. She also chides Spock that any advantage the Federation gains from studying the captured cloaking device will only be temporary, as the Romulans will soon simply build a more advanced one. Spock openly agrees that military secrets are perhaps the briefest of all. Later on the bridge, Spock overhears McCoy teasingly ask the Captain whether he wishes to return to sickbay for surgery, or whether he wishes to look like his First Officer for the rest of his life. Spock urges the Captain to go, since Romulan (and by implication, Vulcan) features on humans appear distasteful to him. Errors and Explanations Plot Oversights # When the Romulan vessels surround the Enterprise, the Romulan subcommander announces with a smug tone, “You have been identified as the starship Enterprise." Big deal. So they can read. It says, “USS Enterprise" right on the saucer. He's trying to conceal his astonishment at the sight of a Federation starship deliberately entering Romulan territory. # When Scott comes down to sick bay, the newly resuscitated and "Romulanized" Kirk stands in the center of the room to greet him. The captain is supposed to be dead, yet he stands in full view of the hallway when the doors pop open. Wouldn't it be better to hide Kirk in a back room? The corridor is probably empty due to the ship being on alert status. # The Romulan commander doesn't seem to know what a cloaking device looks like or where it’s located. The Romulans keep the device in a special room on top of a large, centrally located pedestal. lt is impossible to miss. Yet when the Romulan commander breaks into the room with Spock, she starts looking at the indicator panels along one wall. Bear in mind that she rushed to this room specifically because she feared for the cloaking device’s safety. A few moments later, the Romulan sub-commander finally informs her that the cloaking device is gone, and she turns around to see for herself. She's probably so used to seeing it it place that she didn't bother looking in that direction, until the sub-commander made her aware that the device was missing. Changed Premises # When McCoy returns the “dead” Kirk to sick bay and claims the captain fell victim to the Vulcan death grip, Nurse Chapel quickly responds that there is no Vulcan death grip. Maybe so, but there is tal-shaya, a Vulcan method for snapping an opponent's neck. Does this qualify as a death grip? The tal-shaya may not require a gripping motion. Equipment Oddities # At the beginning of the episode, three Klingon ships appear in Romulan space. When Scott expresses disbelief at this sight, Spock explains that intelligence reports have stated that the Romulans are buying their ship designs from the Klingons. (Now, isn't that convenient! It saved the creators from manufacturing a new Romulan ship.) Evidently the Romulans are also buying their hand phaser designs from the Klingons, because they look very similar to the ones seen in Errand of Mercy. This was probably part of the technology exchange deal. Continuity And Production Problems # Amazingly enough, the Romulans dress their female commanders in miniskirts and go-go boots! Obviously, the Romulans aren't motivated to do this because of any sexist tendencies. After all, this woman commands an armada of Romulan vessels (which - as we find out in Turnabout Intruder - is more than we can say for any single vessel in Starfleet). So do the Romulan women like wearing miniskirt uniforms? It is probably a standard uniform design for female command officers in the Romulan Fleet. # When the Romulan commander stands during her dinner with Spock and must tug at the bottom of her skirt to lower it past her posterior, is this action considered a "warrior" move? More likely an automatic reflex, similar to the 'Picard Maneuver' featured in episodes of The Next Generation. Internet Movie Database Incorrectly regarded as goofs # The Enterprise crew are shocked to learn that their surprise capture may be due to a new cloaking technology possessed by the Romulans. Kirk and crew already encountered cloaked Romulans two years earlier in Balance of Terror. (IMDB) The cloaking technology in this episode is new because it is improved. The Enterprise was still able to track a Romulan ship, though not accurately, in Balance of Terror and cannot detect them at all with this improved version. Plot holes # Transporter beams cannot penetrate shields, yet Kirk is able to beam to the Romulan flagship and back. This means that the Enterprise and the Romulan warships have their shields down, an unlikely scenario with hostile warships facing one another. Scotty probably used the transporter sensors to match the sensor windows of the Romulan ship with those on the Enterprise, thus allowing Kirk to beam to the Romulan vessel and back again – assuming the Romulan Commander kept her ship's shields activated (She may have kept them down as a sign of good faith, as part of her plan to convince Spock to defect). Nit Central # John A. Lang on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 6:17 pm: At one point the Romulan Commander says to Kirk that he does not understand the bond of the Vulcan/Romulan roots and origins...Really? The people of Romulus & Remus must not watch "Star Trek"...for Kirk found out about the bonds & origins in Balance of Terror. '''True, but knowing and understanding are two different things. Notes Category:Episodes Category:The Original Series